The Republican journal., 1887-07-28

|
But he realized this much at all events. that
he should never see Polly alive again--that she
was dead, like mother-and great lump rose
up in his throat, so that he had to leave off eat
| ing his cake.
''She often used to speak of you, Jim. She
longed to see you, and we did our best to find
you. And l promised her that would give
you this. Jim, with her best love-"
As she spoke the nurse lifted up parcel
which she had placed upon the table when she
entered. Jim watched her through his gather
| ing tears, rs she undid a paper wrapper and
revealed beautiful little doll, dressed in Il
! sailor costume. with movable arms and legs,
| and Il rosy, smiling wax face.
''Shc chose this one, and called it Jim, after
| her brother," said the nurse, holding it up for
| the lads inspection. "She used to hug it and
| talk to it, and pretend it was you. And just
| before she died she kissed it, JIM as though
she had been kissing you: She was very fond
| of it, Jim, for your sake"
"Whose doll was it?' inquired Jim h,lskiIy,
| after pause.
'.It was Polly's.'
'lIow did she come by it?' asked Jim
'lt was given to her. All the little patients
| here had a doll or toy of some sort given to
| them at Christmas time" explained the nurse.
''Somc kind friend sent this to Polly"
''Somebody sent that there doll to Polly" en-
| claimed jim, ncredulousIy. "Who scut it to
herr"
Some gentleman or lady, perhaps a little
| time, friends who are well and strong and
happy think of the poor little ones in our
hospital wards. and try to do something to
make them happy also. Some give money to
be spent in toys, and others send the toys
themselves. Some of the TOYS sent are bought
in shops, but others are made by the sender.
Now, this doll. which has pleased dear Polly
so, has evidently been dressed by some ull-
known little friend, and all the clothes are
| beautifully made
Ladies and gen'lcmans sends 'em!" said Jim,
with wrinkle,i brow. "Itcal ladies' and gcn'le-
mans: People as lives in big 'ou>cs and drives
| i'll carria.es:
"All kinds of people; rich and poor, great
and small: but, of course, they are mostly
| wcll-to-do people, for the poor have no money
To spare, explained the nurse. unable to divine
what thought prompted Jim's question. yet
glad to divert him for a moment from his grief.
'llow wish" continued the good nurse, ''tlat
the kind lady or gentleman or child who sent
this pretty doll could know how happy it made
Polly. She had been pinng and wricvnw for
you and felt very lonely, but when told her
some kind friend had sent her this-someboly
who. without knowing her, SympathiZed with
her sttlerings and wished to cheer her onc-
neSs-Polly frightened up and asked me over
and over again to give her best love and thanks
| to the unknown friend if l found out who it
was. And she called the doll after your name.
Jim, and never let il be taken from her while
she lived.''
The problem whch occupied Jin.'s mind and
for moment made him forget his grief, was
the attempt to understand that some lady or
genteman-''nol'' was the generic epithet he
mentally cmployed-had sent that doll to his
sister Polly. This seemed too astonishing to lie
true, for Jim had been brought up to regard all
well-to-do and wel-dresscd persons as his
natural enemies, and between rich and poor
there was, according to his creed, a great gulf
fixed, which rendered human sympathy and
brotherly love between them absolutely i'm
possible. Charity, in the sense of amsgiving.
Jim had experience of, but he regarded this as
the lcvving of blackmail from the wealthy
classes. which was of the right and privilege
of the poor. A copper thrown at his feet had
never inspired the lad with any sense of graft
tude as for an Offering of good will. But the
mob who sent Polly that doll-well, Jim felt
he would like to set eyes upon the person, just
to realize what so kindly an individual could
be like
\ summons for the nurse brought the inter-
view to rather abrupt conclusion before Jim
had time to ask further questions. Jim's kind
hostess wrapped the doll up again and handed
it to him, together with bright shilling from
her own purse. She then kissed him on the
forehead and accompanied him to the hall door,
whence Jim issued forth, feeling his grief the
more bitterly at parting with such a gentle
sympathiZer.
shock of hearing of his sisters death Jim soon
ceased to mourn for her. They had been part
ed for so long that this final and irrcvocablc
separation affected him less than it would
otherwise have done. lie had insensibiy be-
come accustomed to ben" alone i'm the world
before he had learned that Polly could never
rejon him. But in all his future trials and
troubles she remained vividly associated i'm
his memory with comparative happiness now
passed and gone. and he thought of her with
tender regret. He kept the sailor doll as Il
precious mementO of her, and even when
months had rolled by he handled it rcvcrently
as though it had been Il sacred relic. The doll
became Very ragged and dirty and tumbed
from being hidden and slowed away in strange
holes and corners. for Jim had no settled
habltation. and the doll, like himself, frequent
ly had to he satisfied with an III tresco lodging.
There were moments when poor Jim felt sorcy
tempted to dispose of it for the price of il
supper; but he never could bring himself to do
so. Polly had kissed it.
In connection with this doll jim had strange
fancy, which had clung to him ever since his
memorable visit to the hospital. He never look
ed at it without wondering who the person was
who had sent it to Polly. For that person, who
ever he or she might be, jim felt a sentimental
attachment which was strangely at variance
with his vicious prOpensities. At the oldest
moments the idea suddenly came across him
that perhaps this or that passer-by whom he
CHANGED to meet was the individual who had Il
kind thought for poor Polly. Whenever this
idea entered his mind Jim felt softcned and
Il curious way. Two richly-lresscd ladies' step
ped out of Il carriage and crossed his path to
look into 4 shop window in Regent street. .Jim's
quick eye noticed that the pocket of one of
them was in a position where he could get ut
it with little risk of detection The next in
slant he had ranged himself alongside of his
| intended victim. but in doing so he caught Il
glimpse of her face. ltwas a pleasant. smiling
face, but Jim had never seen it before; and
yet, somehow or other. he felt impelled to stink
| away without attempting to accomplish his fell
| onous design, for the idea had suddenly flash
ed across his mind; "P'r'aps it was her as sent
Polly the dOll.'
But it was not often, alas {. that any generous
| impulse intcrfercd to defer Jim from laying
| his hands on other peoples property when an
opportunity occurred, and he soon developed in
| to a promising young thief There was danger,
| indeed, that crime and depravity would, before
long, eradicate the sentimental fancy which
| had taken possession of him, and whi;.! MIGHT
had any honest acquaintance suspected its eX-
istencc, have been turned to profitable account
as a means of reforming and recaming him.
| But, before the danger was realized, Jim met
with an adventure which supcrsttiOus per-
| son nil gl consider more than coincidence. lie
was one afternoon prOwling through fashion
| able wcst-end square, when he paused to flat
ten his nose against the window of a statiOners
shop which was situated at one of the angles
| There were some pretty and valuable things
| exposed for sale, which attracted Jim's attell-
| ton, and as he gaZed at them he noticed that
the shopkcepcr was handing some silver change
to little girl. who had apparently been MAX
| ing purchases.
| Jims eyes glistened ut the sight, and finding,
from Il rapid glance up and down the street,
| that it was almost deserted, he resolved to make
a snatch at the money which the little girl held
| i'll her hand. lie, therefore, stealthy crept be-
| side the entrance, but his intention was frus-
| trated by the little maids Immediately catching
| sight of him and addressing him from where
she stood upon the threshold of the shop.
| ''Little boy, here is Il penny for you," she
| cried.
She was dainty, imperious little maiden
| about IL years DID, with fair hair and blue eyes
the child evidently of well-to-do parents, t.
Judge from her tasteful attire. But she wa.
not proud. apparently, for as Jim advanced
with rather hang-dOg air to receive the coi
| and excited tones:
'Do you know what Ivc been buying, little
boy, all by myself, with my own money, out OF
my money-boX"'
mo, DON'T" said Jim sulIenly.
'I've been buying a scrap-book to paste
scraps into, to send to the poor little sick chill
dren in the hospital. this Christmas she said
"Oh! Did you send your toys to the hospi
tails last Chrstmas!" demanded Jim, with ,
start.
"Yes. A scrap book and Noahs ark ant
some dolls," answered the little girl, eagerly
''What kind of dolls? Was one of 'em dress
cd like a sailor, which moved its arms and legs
and wore gold anchor on its hatT' cried Jim
with sudden excitement.
"Why, yes! How did you guess? dressed
it mysclf-with nurses help, of course" addet
the little girl, grayely, opening her blue eyes
very wide with astOnishment.
o:, Doll,, hal %l,u& .l,n